Earth-Moon

Ted Hughes

Once upon a time there was a person

He was walking along

He met the full burning moon

Rolling slowly towards him

Crushing the stones and houses by the wayside.

She shut his eyes from the glare.

He drew his dagger

And stabbed and stabbed and stabbed.

The cry that quit the moon's wounds

Circled the earth.

The moon shrank, like a punctured airship,

Shrank, shrank, smaller, smaller,

Till it was nothing

But a silk handkerchief, torn,

And wet as tears.

The person picked it up. He walked on

Into moonless night

Carrying his strange trophy.